They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.
Parallel translations
- KJV And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
- BSB And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.
- NKJV And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
- NASB And they were begging Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
- NLT The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The demons beg Jesus not to send them into the abyss. They acknowledge His power to consign them to final judgment.
Overview
The demons plead against being cast into the abyss, the place of restraint and judgment for evil spirits. Their request reveals their fear and their knowledge of coming doom. It confirms that Jesus holds authority over their eternal fate.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Matt 25:41Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
- Rev 20:14–15Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
- Rev 17:8The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present.
- Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”
- Rev 19:20The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
- Rev 11:7When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
- Job 1:11But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
- Phil 2:10–11that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
- Rev 9:1–2The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him.
- Job 2:5But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”
- Rev 20:1–3I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
- Rev 9:11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 8:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.